Rob Katter fires up about royalties for regions program at budget estimates hearing

Mr Katter quizzed Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney at budget estimates hearings yesterday on new eligibility criteria, which open up the scheme to 64 councils state-wide.

He says that will dilute the amount of funding available to mining areas most in need and it is a joke that centres like Cairns and Toowoomba are able to apply for the royalties program.

"Royalties for regions suggest the money that is generated in those areas - the money from the royalties goes back there," he said.

"Now they've just opened it up to the rest of Australia - Townsville and the likes of that - are getting big hits now so everything outside of the south-east corner, every council outside the south-east corner, including everything along the east coast now gets a crack at it.

He says it is "almost a ridiculous program now".

"Western Australia - they give about 20 per cent of their royalties," he said.

"The Queensland program worked out at about - you could say even if you were being generous - about 3 or 4 per cent of royalties in the program.

"The Western Australia one is a serious program - the one in Queensland is a small pilot scheme which allows you to say you have a royalties for regions program when you don't really have one."

Mr Jeff Seeney has told the hearing he is committed to ensuring there is a proper process to get funding to regional areas.

"We will be working with all regional members to identify projects that can be funded under the Royalties for Regions program and to continue to put the case that regional Queensland has a critical need for this sort of funding," he said.

"It has to be a priority in upcoming budgets as the state's economy recovers."There will never be adequate funds to properly address the infrastructure issues in regional Queensland.

"What I have been determined to do was to make sure that there was a process in place."